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The Australian professional cosplayer Lady Jaded gets full marks for a good Slave Leia, an outfit that is a staple of many a cosplayer’s wardrobe. And she gets extra credit for doing Leia in her white robes, which is not nearly as eye-catching a look. And our hat is off to her for making the trip to the dunes of Lancelin, Australia (about an hour north of Perth) to achieve an authentic Tatooine sandscape. And a huge round of applause for the photographer for don’t forget Tatooine has two suns. On this bizarre Cosplay scenario, R2D2 had his own ideas for making the Princess’ holographic message “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” more effective. And after being enslaved by Jabba, it seems Leia escaped from his fortress with the help of… Boba Fett???

In the massive universe that encompasses all things Star Wars, one never really knows what they’ll see. Aside from the films, Star Wars has made its mark on practically every sort of marketing imaginable. So many product tie-ins have been created over the years, that many of us have forgotten how Star Wars products aren’t always cool video games on next-gen consoles or collectible figurines – for example, who among you remembers the C-3PO tape dispenser?

In other words, when it comes to Star Wars, anything is fair game. Recently however, we’ve seen product placement linked with unseen imagery or new characters from the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Some adverts like the one for Duracell batteries have even been accused of revealing too much and subsequently agitating some of the film’s more die-hard fanbase.

The most recent entry to The Force Awakens product tie-in is for UK based telecommunications company O2. They’ve just released a new commercial that meshes old with new.

The ad follows iconic droid duo C-3P0 and R2-D2 as they try to find their way in a deserted landscape that may or may not be Jakku. As they bumble along, the viewer learns that they’re late for a meeting – that meeting being with The Force Awakens’ newest droid, BB-8. Their encounter ends just as R2D2 lays the blame for their tardiness on C-3P0 and BB-8 commences what is sure to be a holographic projection of something of apparent great importance.

Star Wars fans in the United Kingdom will be able to see The Force Awakens a full day before its American fanbase does, and O2’s advertising campaign highlights the opportunity for UK fans to win tickets to the film’s London premiere on December 16. Fans can do so either by entering online or through their priority app.

Of course, the big question here is what exactly is in that projection from BB-8? Perhaps all will be clear once the film is released or perhaps it’s simply an advertising gimmick designed to help build anticipation for the film. Whatever the case, it’s an early treat to see the likes of C-3PO and R2-D2 bickering at one another once again and the interaction with BB-8 bolsters ongoing hopes that The Force Awakens will seamlessly mesh the familiar with the new.

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th, 2015, followed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on December 16th, 2016, Star Wars: Episode VIII on May 26th, 2017, and the Han Solo Star Wars Anthology film on May 25th, 2018. Star Wars: Episode IX is expected to reach theaters in 2019, followed by the third Star Wars Anthology film in 2020.

Back in 1997, Lucasfilm theatrically re-released the original Star Wars trilogy in celebration of the first film’s 20th anniversary. The build up was massive, the anticipation huge, but when fans finally saw these remastered versions of their beloved films, there were noticeable… changes.

Changes both good – remixed audio, crisp visuals, enhanced effects work – and bad, or worse, downright ugly. There was a notable amount of CGI added to the films, there were entirely new scenes added while others significantly altered, and in some cases these changes impacted not only characterization, but the films’ own sense of continuity. Needless to say, the alterations enacted within the Special Editions created a rift between fans and creator – a dispute documented in an actual documentary, The People vs George Lucas.

The highly contentious Special Editions were soon followed by the also controversial prequel films, which later received a DVD then Blu-ray release as a six-film set containing (you guessed it) more changes to the original trilogy. The changes from 2004’s DVD and 2011’s Blu-ray release built upon the changes of the Special Editions, using CGI to achieve Lucas’s “ideal” vision for the Star Wars saga and better align the original trilogy with the prequels.

With rumors Disney is planning to release an unaltered version of the original Star Wars trilogy and the expectation that another Star Wars box set will arrive just in time for the holidays (and the release of The Force Awakens), now is a fitting time to revisit those infamous changes George Lucas made to a galaxy far, far away. Here are our rankings of 15 changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Now that we’ve looked at the good changes in the Part 1 and the bad changes in the Part 2, here is what you’ve waited for: the 5 Ugliest, Stupidest, Most Insulting Changes in the Star Wars Special Editions.

Ugly 1: Greedo Shoots First

By far the most hotly debated change to the original trilogy, the alterations made to this one scene over the years have been numerous. Originally the scene went as such: Greedo aims his pistol at Han while the two are seated in the cantina, but before Greedo can get a shot off, Han shoots him from under the table. It’s a dirty move, sure, but Han is a smuggler after all and his somewhat dubious morals are part of his charm.

In the Special Edition release, the scene changes to Greedo shooting first and inexplicably missing, followed by Han shooting him as he did originally. Lucas’ argument for the switch is two-fold: it was always his intention for Greedo to shoot first and Han was never meant to be such an underhanded character.

Han shot first! Original Star Wars Episode IV (1977).

Greedo shot first??? Star Wars Episode IV Special Edition (1997).

For the DVD release the scene was changed again, this time making it appear that both Greedo and Han shoot at almost the same time. Instead of Greedo flat out missing his shot, we’re expected to believe Han dodges it at the last minute, though there’s really no evidence of this in scene. In the Blu-ray release the scene was changed yet again, this time being shortened by several frames to make it appear more like their shots are simultaneous (and presumably make it harder for fans to continue nitpicking).

Obviously, the change doesn’t only fundamentally alter the dynamic of the scene but the characters within it. Greedo now appears as the most inept of hitmen, missing his target at only three feet, and Han now acts as if he needs more reason to shoot than having a gun aimed at him. The constant tinkering with this scene doesn’t fix anything, instead it only perpetuates an ongoing dispute between creator and fans.

Ugly 2: Jabba in ‘A New Hope’

Possibly the ugliest of Ugly changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy comes not long after the infamous “Han Shot First” debacle. It’s a scene Lucas had always intended to appear in his original cut of Star Wars, where the gangster Jabba the Hutt would personally visit Han Solo, demanding payment. The scene was filmed with actor Declan Mulholland as a stand-in for Jabba with the intention for a stop-motion creature (not so unlike the Rancor in Return of the Jedi) to be added in later. Yet the scene never came to fruition, mostly due to Lucas being unsatisfied with the stop motion effect, and the scene was scrapped.

That is, until the Special Editions. For the re-release the scene of Jabba confronting Han in Mos Eisley was included, only this time with a digitally created Jabba masking Mulholland. And the final result is downright ugly for a number of reasons. The CGI Jabba is atrocious, clashing with the worn look of A New Hope and looking quite different from how he later appears in Return of the Jedi. The scene is also redundant, since Han’s previous encounter with Greedo already sets up Han’s debt to Jabba and the bounty now on his head.

Adding insult to injury, the scene as it was originally blocked features Harrison Ford walking behind Mulholland. This proved a tricky element of the scene given that Jabba as we know him is a giant slug with a tail. To “fix” this, Han is now depicted as stepping on Jabba’s tail, but the final effect is appalling. The image of Han jitters as he moves up and over Jabba’s tail in an moment that’s clunky and terribly distracting. Later releases on both DVD and Blu-ray have thankfully improved on the original CGI Jabba, but the addition as a whole still looks awful and is completely unnecessary.

Ugly 3: New Musical Scene in Jabba’s Palace

In Return of the Jedi, Jabba’s palace was another opportunity to put a vast array of unique and interesting aliens on display, much like Mos Eisley’s cantina. And also like the cantina, a gangster’s hangout deserves a house band. In the original release that was the Max Rebo Band and the number they performed was “Lapti Nek.”

Then came the Special Editions and in absolutely baffling decision, Lucas changed the short interlude into a full blown musical number. Now featuring a song called “Jedi Rocks,” the Max Rebo Band’s lead singer, Sy Snootles is a digital creature (though her practical puppet is still visible in a previous shot) and she is joined by the obnoxious and hairy, Joh Yowza.

To call the scene distracting would be an understatement. Visually, it’s incongruous with the dingy, smoky atmosphere of Jabba’s Palace, largely in part because of how badly the CGI aliens mesh with the real actors and sets. The new song also doesn’t fit with the mood of the setting, making the change feel all the more abrasive. Not since the infamous Holiday Special has there been such a regrettable mix of Star Wars and popular music.

(And here’s another sin worth calling out in this scene: extraneous Boba Fett sightings. Throughout the musical number the camera repeatedly cuts to the bounty hunter as he watches the performance and flirts with a few dancers. But other than to remind us that, “Hey, Boba Fett’s a character and he’s here,” nothing is gained from the cutaways. He made a similar appearance for appearance’s sake during Jabba’s added scene in Episode IV (see above). And we get it, Boba Fett looks cool in that Mandalorian armor, but how about actually giving him something cool to do other than strutting through the background and falling into Sarlacc pits. Guess we’ll have to wait for his solo film for any of that.)

Ugly 4: Blinking Ewoks

“Wicket, you blinked! Let’s take it again.”

Of the three original Star Wars films, Return of the Jedi receives the most fan backlash and that’s due in large part to one thing: the Ewoks. For the fans that embraced Episode V‘s darker, more mature themes, having the Rebellion rescued by cute and cuddly teddy bears was unthinkable. In the years since, some considered their introduction as the beginning of Star Wars‘ downfall, with the Ewoks leading the way for Gungans and pod races.

Surely, the Ewoks themselves aren’t all that bad, but thanks to another needless tweak found in the Blu-ray release, the Ewoks have gone from a little annoying but cute to downright creepy. Now the Ewoks blink with the help of CGI eyelids and the effect is… unsettling. Besides being unnecessary and the very definition of gratuitous, the work to enable each Ewok with a pair of blinking eyelids was likely tedious. And when money and artistic effort is wasted on giving eyelids to space bears, then you really are scraping the bottom of the barrel for substantial changes.

The original Star Wars trilogy has weathered more than any film’s fair share of post-release alterations, but the blinking Ewoks encapsulate perfectly how nitpicky these changes have become with each version. There are clearly changes that are more distracting and more egregious, but none are as unwarranted.

Ugly 5: Hayden Christensen in ‘Return of The Jedi’

Throughout this article we’ve covered changes both bad and good, changes that enhanced an existing effect and those that ruined them. But of all the changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy, not one is more hated, more reviled than Hayden Christensen appearing as a Force ghost in Return of the Jedi. (Even worse, there’s a rumor he’ll appear again in Episode VIII!)

The scene, as it originally existed, saw the blue apparitions of Yoda and Obi-Wan joined by a third – a redeemed Anakin Skywalker, now again a member of the Light, having been saved in his final moments by his son. The scene is poignant and full of closure as Anakin, not Darth Vader, is depicted as healed and whole – the very image of the father Luke (and Leia) would never know.

Then came the DVD release and that family moment was forever ruined. In order to better associate the character seen in this scene with the character audiences followed through Episodes I-III, Anakin’s previous actor, Sebastian Shaw (who still appears as a dying man inside Vader’s suit) was replaced with Christensen, the prequel trilogy’s Anakin. And if there ever was a change made to the original trilogy that stung Star Wars fans the worst, it’s this one.

The change achieves little more than to remind viewers of Christensen’s universally panned performance, a true low point for the franchise. Not to mention bringing up more questions, like why does no other character revert to their younger self as a Force ghost? Wouldn’t Obi-Wan prefer to be young and fit as Ewan McGregor as opposed to an aged Alec Guinness? Bottom line, this is the absolute worst change made to the original Star Wars trilogy and the reasoning for it is flimsy at best.

Back in 1997, Lucasfilm theatrically re-released the original Star Wars trilogy in celebration of the first film’s 20th anniversary. The build up was massive, the anticipation huge, but when fans finally saw these remastered versions of their beloved films, there were noticeable… changes.

Changes both good – remixed audio, crisp visuals, enhanced effects work – and bad, or worse, downright ugly. There was a notable amount of CGI added to the films, there were entirely new scenes added while others significantly altered, and in some cases these changes impacted not only characterization, but the films’ own sense of continuity. Needless to say, the alterations enacted within the Special Editions created a rift between fans and creator – a dispute documented in an actual documentary, The People vs George Lucas.

The highly contentious Special Editions were soon followed by the also controversial prequel films, which later received a DVD then Blu-ray release as a six-film set containing (you guessed it) more changes to the original trilogy. The changes from 2004’s DVD and 2011’s Blu-ray release built upon the changes of the Special Editions, using CGI to achieve Lucas’s “ideal” vision for the Star Wars saga and better align the original trilogy with the prequels.

With rumors Disney is planning to release an unaltered version of the original Star Wars trilogy and the expectation that another Star Wars box set will arrive just in time for the holidays (and the release of The Force Awakens), now is a fitting time to revisit those infamous changes George Lucas made to a galaxy far, far away. Here are our rankings of 15 changes made to the original Star Wars trilogy – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Now that we’ve looked at the good changes in the Part 1, here are 5 Bad Changes Made in the Star Wars Special Editions.

Part 2: The Bad

Bad 1: R2-D2 Behind The Rocks

While the advancement in digital effects has greatly improved some of the effects work from the original trilogy (see section: The Good), there are still several instances where the additional CGI borders on obnoxious. And though these instances aren’t the worst that the Special Editions and later releases have to offer, they’re still pretty unnecessary.

A perfect example of one of these unnecessary additions comes in 2011’s Blu-ray release of A New Hope, where R2-D2 is now seen slightly obscured by some digital rocks when the Sand People attack Luke and later are driven away by Obi-Wan Kenobi (where another strong candidate for these not terrible, but unnecessary changes happens – the new Krayt Dragon call). The point of the addition is to make Artoo appear more adequately hidden, where previously the little astromech was merely tucked away in an alcove.

Yet, was there ever any real confusion over why the Sand People didn’t notice Artoo? How did he even manage to squeeze himself in there so quickly? These digital rocks also don’t blend with the actual rocks of Tunisia or Death Valley at all. The Blu-ray release’s digital rocks were added to make Artoo’s hiding spot more discreet, but ultimately the effect is distracting and unnecessary.

Bad 2: Extended Mos Eisley Entrance

“Oh, I’m sorry. You actually wanted to see what’s happening in this scene?”

Cloud City may benefit from the added digital wizardry, but Mos Eisley does not. The spaceport is sadly at the heart of many of the Special Editions most egregious changes, and even the minor tinkering the location endures does more to hinder its scenes than help. The original Mos Eisley may not have come across as congested or bustling as Lucas imagined, but the subsequent changes instead give the setting an awkward, almost slapdash appearance, with random bystanders and CGI creatures very obviously inserted into the scenery.

There are a handful of changes to the Mos Eisley sequence that are subtle or only enhance an already existing effect – the entrance of Luke’s speeder into Mos Eisley, for instance, has been cleaned up to remove the matte lines around the vehicle, making it appear less like a sticker stuck to the frame. But unfortunately, most of the additions to Mos Eisley are obtrusive: extra people, Jawas, droids, stormtroopers, Rontos, Dewbacks – they absolutely litter the screen!

Even more offensive, these newly added characters and creatures will at times even block the action. For example, during the famous “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” scene, the action is obscured not once, but three times as various new elements walk through the frame – a stream of people, some droids, and the worst, a Ronto that appears so close to the camera all that appears in frame is a giant wall of reptilian flesh! These additions aren’t only distracting and superfluous, but actually hurt existing and crucial scenes of the film.

Bad 3: Too Many Stormtroopers

Stormtroopers get a pretty bad rap in the Star Wars universe, and not because they’re the legion of the hated Empire, but because they couldn’t shoot the broad side of a Bantha at five yards. (“Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.” Ha! Good one, Obi-wan.) When they aren’t missing shots on enemies who are literally standing still, stormtroopers will run towards oncoming fire like lemmings, dropping one after the other.

All that being said, anyone armed with a blaster should pose at least some threat, and when it’s a whole squad of stormtroopers, well, that isn’t nothing. In the original version of A New Hope, Han Solo faces just this situation. After escaping the trash compactor, our heroes unexpectedly run into a squad of stormtroopers on patrol and Han, being ever the reckless smuggler, runs at them firing his blaster wildly and screaming like a mad man. The visibly spooked stormtroopers take off in the other direction with Han and Chewie in pursuit, until they reach the end of the corridor where they finally realize how easily they outnumber their pursuers and start firing back.

The scene makes for a good gag, one that plays both on the stormtroopers being useless soldiers and Han’s penchant to not always think before he acts. Yet, the scene is altered for the Special Edition release. Han no longer chases the stormtroopers into a dead end, but rather into a hanger full of stormtroopers. Like a lot, a whole lot. Hundreds even. And what was essentially a funny moment of incompetence on the part of the stormtroopers is now turned into something entirely absurd. More isn’t always better, and Han returning unscathed after bumping into so many stormtroopers is utterly ridiculous.

Bad 4: Get A Look At That Wampa

For the most part, The Empire Strikes Back has been altered the least of the original trilogy, but that doesn’t mean it’s without an unnecessary change or two. In this case, the scene in question comes early in the film, after Luke has been attacked by the Wampa and dragged back to its lair. What follows is a frightening sequence in where Luke must defend himself from becoming this unseen creature’s lunch and it works especially well because we only see the Wampa in quick flashes.

When it came to the Special Editions, however, Lucas wanted the Wampa to feature more prominently and for the re-release a full size Wampa was included in the scene. Now when Luke awakens to find himself hanging upside down in the creature’s cave, we actually see the Wampa feasting on Luke’s Tauntaun. And when Luke later cuts off the creature’s arm we see a full shot of the Wampa wailing and holding what remains of its severed limb.

Initially, this change was considered for “The Good” section because the full size Wampa is an improvement over the original puppet and his inclusion in the scene isn’t terribly distracting. Yet, by comparing the two scenes side by side it’s clear that getting a good look at the Wampa instead of only seeing it in short bursts hurts the scene’s frightening atmosphere. It’s another case of where less is more, and though the Wampa sure looks scary, the sequence doesn’t play as scary as it did before the changes.

Bad 5: Vader Screams “Nooo!” Again

“Nooooooooooo!”

Many of the changes enacted upon the original trilogy for the Blu-ray release are considered the most superfluous. After having already endured alterations for both the Special Editions and DVDs, by the time the Blu-rays released there were far less technical issues in the original trilogy in need of fixing, leaving many of the changes to only better align the films with the prequel trilogy.

This was done in a number of ways, the worst being featured elsewhere (see section: The Ugly), but even a few of the minor changes are pretty bad. For instance, Darth Vader using the last of his strength to save his son from The Emperor in Return of the Jedi is a heroic moment, culminating the character’s six-film arc. But still, the scene wasn’t spared from needless tampering.

For the Blu-ray, audio of Vader saying “No,” while Luke is being tortured, followed by him screaming, “Nooo!” as he throws The Emperor down a bottomless shaft has been dubbed into the scene. And at first it may not seem too terrible, that is until you realize it’s something of a callback to Vader’s “Nooo!” from Revenge of the Sith. Not only is the added audio exceptionally unnecessary, but it’s reminiscent of a detested prequel trilogy moment.

Now that we’ve looked at the Good Changes in the Part 1 and the Bad Changes in this Part 2, let’s see the 5 Ugly Changes Made in the Star Wars Special Editions. Click here to see the Part 3: The Ugly.